Memphis Legal Aid Organization Serving Illegal Immigrants To Close After Federal Funding Cuts

Image Credit: Mid-South Immigration Advocates / Facebook

Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –

Mid-South Immigration Advocates (MIA), a Memphis-based nonprofit law firm serving low-income immigrants and providing deportation defense services, announced its impending closure as the organization will no longer receive federal reimbursement for representing unaccompanied minors.

MIA was founded in 2013 with the core mission to “provide free and affordable immigration representation to low-income clients” and protect “the most vulnerable members of our community by providing holistic, vigorous legal representation to children, survivors of violence, asylum seekers and families at risk of deportation,” regardless of “race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, political opinion, national origin, criminal history, or immigration status.”

In March of 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) terminated a $200 million contract with the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit Acacia Center for Justice, a national legal services organization that subcontracted with more than 100 organizations, including MIA, to represent youth and provide legal clinics at detention facilities.

As MIA has received grant monies and reimbursements for years as part of the Acacia network to provide services like Know Your Rights presentations, legal screenings, and direct representation for unaccompanied minors in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Northern Mississippi, the funding disruptions leading to closure indicate just how much the nonprofit was relying on federal taxpayer dollars to help illegal immigrants stay in Tennessee and other Southern states.

MIA Legal Director Sally Joyner said the news was “devastating” in an email to the media, confirming that HHS’ decision to “indefinitely delay reimbursement” for legal representation of unaccompanied minors has resulted in unpaid invoices “for over 7 months of work, which amounts to over half a million dollars.”

“Despite losing federal funding for our Survivors’ Project, Asylum Initiative, and Know Your Rights programming under the current administration, we still hoped to continue serving our community through our existing contracts and fundraising efforts. However, the protracted delay in reimbursement has forced us to make this immensely difficult decision,” Joyner said. 

There has not been a specified closing date announced but a Facebook post from MIA on July 24 said the organization will be closing both its Memphis and Nashville offices over the next few months as “we move into an uncertain future.” 

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.